President Alexander Stubb on Monday said that the suffering of civilians in Gaza must end and Israel must follow the international law.
“The suffering of civilians in Gaza must end. Finland calls on Israel to assume its responsibilities under international law and to ensure access for humanitarian aid,” the President wrote in a post on his social media platform X.
He also said that the UN and humanitarian aid organizations must be allowed to operate fully and impartially.
“Humanitarian aid must not be politicised. Forced displacement of populations is a war crime and cannot form part of any solution,” Stubb wrote in the post.
He also called on Hamas to release hostages and encourage the parties to return to the ceasefire.
“Israel's security must be guaranteed in accordance with international law. Peace negotiations must be started immediately on the basis of a two-state solution,” the President added.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen in their social media platforms also made the similar demands underscored the urgent need to ensure unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza.
Earlier on the day, Israel announced the temporary lifting of an 11-week aid blockade on Gaza, but cautioned that the amount of aid into Gaza is too little.
Meanwhile, Leaders of France, Britain and Canada on Monday voiced strong opposition to the expansion of Israel's military operations in Gaza, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and unimpeded humanitarian access.
In a joint statement released by the French presidential office, the Elysee, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney urged the Israeli government to halt its military operations and immediately allow life-saving aid to reach civilians in Gaza.
"The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable," the leaders said, warning that blocking essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and may constitute a violation of international humanitarian law.
The statement also condemned what it described as "abhorrent language" recently used by Israeli government officials, including threats of Gaza's destruction.
While reaffirming Israel's right to defend its citizens against terrorism, the three leaders stressed they could not remain passive in the face of what they called egregious actions by the Netanyahu government.
Regarding the West Bank, the leaders demanded an immediate halt to Israeli settlement expansion, warning that continued settlement activity would prompt targeted sanctions.
France, Britain and Canada also reiterated their commitment to recognizing a Palestinian state as a step toward achieving a two-state solution.
On May 16, Norway, along with Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovenia, and Spain issued a joint statement expressing concern over the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and calling for an immediate change in Israel's policy.
As Israel intensifies its military operations in the Gaza Strip, a growing number of European leaders on May 17 voiced deep concern over the worsening humanitarian situation, urging Israel to "reverse its current policy" and calling for urgent humanitarian intervention.
- Finland
- Israel
- Gaza
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
